The Ethics of Avastin

MANIFESTO

Here's a situation for your next game of Scruples:

Avastin, made by Genentech, is a wonder drug. Approved for patients with advanced lung, colon or breast cancer, it cuts off tumors’ blood supply, an idea that has tantalized science for decades. And despite its price, which can reach $100,000 a year, Avastin has become one of the most popular cancer drugs in the world.

But there is another side to Avastin. Studies show the drug prolongs life by only a few months, if that.

So, how much is a life worth? Does one pay the $400 and more per day to stay alive for a few precious weeks, or does one accede to the inevitable and call it a life?

Situations like that are never easy, but as Patrick Henry almost asked, "Is life so dear ... as to be purchased at the price of [Avastin]?"

I'm pretty sure I know what side I'd lean toward. It's like the old argument I heard when I was smoking: Don't you know smoking can shorten your life by eight years? Eight years! To which I'd invariably reply, "Which eight years are you referring to? If you're talking about the ones between 76 and 84—as opposed to the ones between 24 and 32—I think I'm ok with it."